Nurse draws 100-mile inspiration from patients, family

Wednesday

Jul 12, 2017 at 12:01 AMJul 12, 2017 at 7:12 PM

KEVIN CORVO THISWEEKNEWS.COM @ThisWeekCorvo

Brittany Vonau will have 100 miles of road ahead of her when she begins the Pelotonia charity bicycle tour Aug. 5, but she said she should have more than an equal number of supporters behind her with every revolution of her pedals.

Vonau, a registered nurse who works in the emergency room of the oncology department of Ohio State's James Cancer Hospital, said she won't have to look far for inspiration on the grueling journey as she attempts a 100-mile ride for the first time.

"I'll be riding for my patients (and) I have family members who have had cancer, too," said Vonau, 29.

That doesn't include her personal experience.

Cancer was not something she often thought about until the day a routine physical exam for her volleyball team at Hartley High School redefined it.

The physical exam when she was 15 years old revealed nodules in her thyroid, she said.

A biopsy deemed them benign, but physicians still wanted to remove the nodules.

During the surgery, an on-the-spot lab test indicated the nodules were cancerous, Vonau said.